Focus on Taliban instead of India, Pakistan told

Expressing concern over the Islamabad government's failure in curbing terrorism, a prominent Pakistani jurist has said that the country should focus on 'Taliban instead of rivalry with India'.

Pakistan has failed to curb terrorism and the government is incapable to deal with the looming threat posed by Taliban and other extremists, senior Supreme Court lawyer Abid Hassan Minto said.

"Pakistan's leaders should focus on Taliban and internal extremists instead of their rivalry with India," Minto said while addressing an international conference on 'Securing South Asia for the People of South Asia' at the University of Toronto.

Minto said that the Pakistani military and political leaders should fight internal extremists "rather than strictly focus on the conventional threat that has been traditionally from India."

Expressing his concern over the recent upsurge by the Taliban forces within 100 kms of Islamabad, Minto said that even the Supreme Court of Pakistan's writ did not run in Swat valley as no official was ready to go there.

Out of the 23 TV channels in Pakistan, nine of them are run by Muslim fundamentalist groups who tutor people against India and misguide people about the true values of Islam, Minto added.

The Conference is scheduled to discuss how South Asian people could work together and bring peace and security in the region.

Over 100 delegates from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are attending the three-day conference organised by the South Asian Peoples Forum, the Ghadar Heritage Foundation, and the Association of Indian Progressive Study Groups.